Game boards



R. HAMILTON GAME BOARDS May 17, 1955 Filed Feb. 2, 1955 R055 HAM/.4 70A/ EVM/7 In veA/ron United States GAME BOARDS Ross Hamilton, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,541

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) This invention relates to game boards for games of skill and chance.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a game for two players, or opposing teams of players in which each player or team is provided with corresponding game boards, each hoard including a bottom panel member provided with upwardly' extending marginal and partition walls defining a plurality of separate compartments, the bottom wall of each compartment having a series of pockets formed in said bottom panel member, a cover of 'transparent material secured to the upper edges of said walls and a plurality of movable game pieces trapped in each of said compartments and selectively movable into the pockets, said game pieces being moved in sequences by alternate players according to the game rules.

Another object is to provide said game pieces of magnetic sensitive material and a magnet for each player adapted to select said magnetic sensitive game pieces tor movement to said pockets.

The above and other objects and characteristic features of this invention will be understood more readily from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a plan view of the game board embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the section line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig'. 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line 3--3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner in which a magnet is used in playing the game.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates a game board comprising a base panel 6, a double walled intermediate transparent panel 7 comprising top and bottom laminations 7a and 7b overlying said base panel and a top transparent panel 8 over said intermediate panel 7 and spaced therefrom by side walls 9 extending about the tour sides and vertical and horizontal intermediate partition walls 10 and 11 intersecting one another at right angles to define four compartments 14, i5, 16 and 17 between said intermediate and top panels.

The top lett and right hand compartments 14 and 15 may be designated opponents and "players" field, respectively. And the bottom left and right hand compartments 16 and 17 may be designated opponents and players score box, respectively. The surface of the base panel 6 within each eld 14 and 1S is divided into forty-nine squares 19 arranged in vertical and horizontal columns of squares i9. Numerals are placed at the left hand of each horizontal column reading from top to bottom as 1 to 7. Letters are also placed at the base of each vertical column reading from left to right as A to G. The columns of squares and their identitication numerals and letters are substantially spaced from the bottom of the field to provide an assembly area 20 for the men" 21 not in play. The top lamination 7a of intermediate panel 7 is provided with openings 22 in the surface thereof, each opening overlying a square 19 on the face of the panel 6 of each field. That portion of each field between the top and intermediate panels '7 and overlying the assembly area 20 is reserved for the men" 21 not in play. The are seven sets of three men in each field, the three men of each set being identilied with corresponding numbers from- 1 to '7. Each man is sensitive to magnetic attraction, the reason for which will be hereinafter described.

The surface of base panel 6 within each score box 16 and 17 is divided into twenty-one squares, indicated at 25, arranged one above the other in three horizontal rows with the squares oi each row consecutively numbered from 1 to 7. An assembly area 26 is provided therebelow for counters 27 not in use. The top lamination 7a of intermediate panel 7 is also provided with openings 2S in the surface thereof, each opening overlying a square- 25. That portion of each score box between th top and intermediate panels 7 and 8 overlying the assembly area 26 is reserved for the counters not in use. There are ten counters in each score box, four having thereon a corresponding identifying character, three having another corresponding character, two having a further character and the tenth one having still another character on the face thereof, the purpose of which will be more fully explained. Each counter is sensitive to magnetic attraction.

The opponents playing lield 14 has ten symbols displayed thereon represented by any four different characters designated W, X, Y and Z, including four symbols of the W character, three ot the X character, two of the Y character and one of the Z. Each set of characters is separately arranged in a series of adjacent squares, either vertically, horizontaliy or diagonally, except the single character Z; for example, as illustrated in lield 14 of lig. l. The ten counters 27 in the opponents score box lo will be provided with characters corresponding to the aforesaid characters appearing on the playing iield 14. The players field 15 will not have symbols appearing thereon but the players counters 27 in score box 17 will be provided with characters W, X, Y and Z in groups of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

To play the game two boards are required, one for a player and one for an opponent. Each board will be identical, except for the arrangement of the symbols in each others opponents field 14. Each player is also provided with a magnet 30, which, when placed on the surface of top panel S over a man or counter, lifts said man or counter so that it may be carried in suspension across the iield or score box by sliding movement of the magnet to any desired opening 22 or 28 in the top lamination 7a. By withdrawal of the magnet from the surface of top panel 8, the man or counter will be deposited in the opening to come to rest on the surface of bottom lamination 7b of intermediate panel 7. Additionally, each player may be provided with a plurality of cards 31 having forty-nine squares thereon and symbols of identical characters arranged in sequences other than that shown on the face of iield 14. A selected card is insertable through a side opening 32 in board 5 to cover the squares and symbols on the board to ensure that each opponent will be unfamiliar with the arrangement of the symbols appearing in the opponents field 14 of each players board.

It does not matter which player starts, as each player has twenty-one men to move and the score is taken when the last player has made his nal move. The starting player iirst moves the three men with the numeral one thereon consecutively from his players tield 15 assembly area 20 by the manipulation of his magnet, in the manner above described, placing each of the men in one of the openings over the squares 19. After completing his third move he indicates their location by reference to the numerals and letters along the two borders of the squares, for example, one at 6-D, one at 6E, one at 6F. (He does not have to place them in consecutive squares, but may place them anywhere about the playing field). The opponent covers the squares of his board in the field designated opponents which correspond to the squares which the first piayer has indicated as being covered in said players field or" the rst players board, to plot the first players progress with respect to the symbols on the opponents field of the opponents board and then informs him that he has scored 1.-W, but does not indicate which of the three meri scored. The player will then move one of his W-character counters 27 in score box 17 to one of the openings 28 in the first vertical row. At the same time the opponent credits the first player in a similar manner with a W-character counter 27 in his opponents score box 28.

The second player then moves his three No. l men in a similar manner on his own players field 1S in an attempt to guess the arrangement of the symbols appearing on his opponents, opponents field 14. Score is then recorded if any, as well as plotting of the second players moves in the manner above described. The first player then moves his three No. 2 men placing them, for example, on squares 5 3, 3-E and Z-A. His opponent again plots the first players moves and then advises him to score one W, one X and one Y. The player then fills the three openings in the second vertical row of his score box 17 with counters of the designated characters, and opponent credits him similarly in his opponents score box 16. Certain positive clues have now been established for the first player. One clue is that the four characters W are in a vertical sequence. This is evidenced by the fact that he has two counters W and has two men spaced four squares apart in column E. Therefore, on his next turn he will move two of his No. 3 meri to positions 4-E and S-E, scoring two counters with W characters in the third vertical row of his score box 17. His other clues are that the X and Y characters on his opponents field 11i are in the vicinity of squares Z-A and 5-}3. His third No. 3 man will be moved in his iield 15. Since the group of W characters were in a vertical row the chances are in his favour that one of the other groups will be in a diagonal row. lf he selects square fil-C for placement of his third man, he will, of course, be advised that he is entitled to a counter with the character X which he places in the third row of f his score box 17. He now knows that to complete the X group a man must be placed on either square 6-A or 3-D. He also knows that the Y group consisting of only two characters is located in the vicinity of square 2-A.

As previously stated each player has twenty-one men to move in alternate turns of three moves each. The player covering the most number of squares of which symbols appear on the corresponding squares in the opponents field 14 of the board of his opponent may be determined the winner.' Alternatively groups of corresponding characters rnay have different values. For example, each W character may be worth one point, each X character may be worth two points, each Y character may be worth three points and the single Z character may be worth five points. Any suitable characters may be substituted for the characters W, X, Y and Z, or they may also be represented by contrasting colours.

Although I have shown and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, one modification which has been contemplated is the removal of transparent top panel S for manipulation ot the game piece.

What I claim is:

1. A game board comprising a base panel, a transparent intermediate panel overlying said base panel, a top panel of transparent material overlying said intermediate panel and spaced therefrom by side walls extending about the four sides of the board, intermediate partition walls interposed between said intermediate and top panels, said partition walls being at right angles to one another to define four rectangular compartments, including an opponents field, a players field therebeside, an opponents score box below said opponerits field and a players score box beside the opponents score box and below the players field, said bottom panel having portions of its surface underlying said transparent intermediate panel within the opponents and players fields divided into vertical and horizontal columns of adjacent squares with legends along two sides thereof. to identify said columns, certain of said squares within said opponeuts field having indicia thereon arranged in predetermined groups of corresponding characters in each group, said bottom panel also having portions of its surface underlying said transparent intermediate panel within the opponents" and players scoring boxes divided into squares having scoring indicia thereon, game pieces confined in said players field between said intermediate and top panels and movable by a player to cover the squares in said field, game pieces confined in said opponents field between said intermediate and top panels and movable by said player to cover the squares in said field to plot movements in relation to the indicia thereon of an opponents moves on the playing field of another identical board, game pieces in said opponeiits scoring box and movable by said player to scoring positions determined by the number of characters covered by the game pieces in the opponents field of said players board, game pieces in said players scoring box and movable to scoring positions determined by the number of characters designated by an opponent to have been covered by game pieces in an opponents field of said opponents board according to the movement of the game pieces in the players field of the rst players board, and means operable for moving said game pieces.

2. A game board according to claim 1, in which the opposing surfaces of the bottom and intermediate panels of said board lying within the opponeiits eld are spaced apart to provide a pocket having an open end, and including a plurality of cards each having a surface divided into squares and having characters thereon according to predetermined patterns, said cards being selectively inserted in said pocket to vary the pattern of characters within said opponents field.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,545 Yarnell Sept. 27, 1898 1,061,864 Palmer May 13, 1913 1,225,787 Diehl May 15, 1917 1,354,910 Ketchum Oct. 5, 1920 1,942,291 Jefferson Jan. 2, 1934 2,058,079 Heath Oct. 20, 1936 

